Matthew Bufford

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Political Science & International Affairs

Matt is a doctoral student at the University of Georgia focusing on Comparative Politics and Political Methodology.

Education

M.A., New York University 2010, European and Mediterranean Studies

B.S., Georgia Institute of Technology 2008, International Affairs

More About

A native of the Atlanta area, Matt first became interested in international affairs as a high school freshman, when he participated in a student exchange program. He and a German high school student took turns visiting each other’s families, schools, and communities for several weeks over the course of that year, and Matt became interested in thinking about the ways people in different countries viewed the world. This interest grew, and soon Matt was getting involved in Model United Nations and coercing his mother into buying him a subscription to the Economist magazine. Matt completed his undergraduate degree in International Affairs at Georgia Tech where he became interested in other international institutions like the European Union and was able to participate in one of Tech’s study abroad programs in Brussels. Matt completed his Master’s degree in European and Mediterranean Studies at New York University where his thesis examined linkages between French and German domestic immigration policies and the development of common European Union immigration policy.

After obtaining his Master’s, Matt moved to the D.C. area and worked as a consultant for the Federal Government for five years, working with clients such as the U.S. Navy and the Department of Homeland Security. Matt was excited to return to academia and to the state of Georgia, but he remains a Yellow Jackets fan at heart.

Research Interests

I am broadly interested in social policies and political behavior in advanced, industrialized democracies. My research focuses on the nexus of public opinion and policy results, particularly with regard to immigration and support for redistribution.